Dobrada – Portuguese Tripe and Bean Stew

Dobrada?

Hey there foodie friends, today I’m excited to share with you a delicious traditional Portuguese recipe. Dobrada is a hearty tripe and bean stew that was made popular in Northern Portugal and some regions of Brazil.

This dish has gained popularity over the years and is now served at restaurants and homes across Portugal, Brazil and other countries where Portuguese have resettled.

Our usual disclaimer

If you’re new to our blog or perhaps you haven’t seen our more traditional recipes, we usually share this little disclaimer. We never claim that we have the original recipe of a traditional dish. Also, since most recipes take on their own twists as they travel from region to region, we never call any of our recipes the authentic version of a dish.

As the home cook ½ of our blog team (the other ½ is Liz, who focuses on photography and some story-writing), I try to recreate traditional recipes to the best of my ability, and then I like to tweak them, even slightly, to create my own version of the dishes. I never post a recipe unless I love it 🙂 and Liz won’t write about anything she hasn’t tried and loved. That’s why I’m (Nelson) writing this one today. This one’s all mine. Why? Tripe… that’s why.

Tripe. Really?

The seared chourico and smoked bacon, the beans and the slow-cooked delicious sauce would satisfy most people I know. But throw in the word tripe (the first or second stomach of a cow) and now you have people looking at you funny. Some wouldn’t even dare try.

Tripe isn’t very common in North American cuisine and it’s definitely an acquired taste. I’m going to hazard a guess that it’s not the flavour that bothers people; rather, it’s the appearance and soft rubbery consistency of the tripe that might turn them off. But there are many who don’t mind, including me, and I personally know many people who share my sentiment.

You know, I actually kept this recipe pretty tame; some people also add pig’s feet and other parts to this dish 🙂 You can call my version of this dish the entry level.

What inspired me to make this?

This isn’t really a dish my mom made often, though we had lots of hearty meals similar to this at home. But during a recent visit to a local Portuguese bakery to get bread and Portuguese desserts, the scent of the stews coming from the hot food table caught my attention, and I bought some dobrada for my dinner. Yes, only for me, because Liz and the kids won’t touch this dish (mind over matter, I say).

I liked the meal so much that I decided to try my own version.

If you have old school Portuguese roots, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of this dish, or maybe even had it at home. This is perfect Portuguese comfort food that’ll hit the spot on a cold winter day.

Regardless of your background, I invite you to try this recipe—maybe you’re already familiar with tripe or maybe you’re super curious to try something different. Whatever your reason, don’t forget the crusty bread for dipping… and always eat well, friends.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Dobrada - Portuguese tripe and bean stew

This is a hearty traditional dish from the north of Portugal and different areas of Brazil. Don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Brazilian, Portuguese

Keyword: Dobrada

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs or 900 g beef tripe
• 9 oz or 260 g whole piece of smoked bacon (same as pancetta or toucinho), cut into small strips, about the thickness of thick bacon.
• 10 oz or 290 g Portuguese chouriço (sausage), sliced in wheels
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium cooking onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 cups cups beef stock
• 5 peeled plum or Roma tomatoes (we used canned), chopped
• 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced in wheels
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp pimento paste (sweet or hot depending on your preference)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp coarse salt for cooking the stew
• 2 cans white kidney beans (38 fl oz or 1080 ml), rinsed
• 2 tbsp coarse salt for washing the tripe
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp course salt for pre cooking the tripe
• Small bunch chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley for garnish, chopped
• Portuguese hot sauce to serve on the side… some people like it spicy!

Instructions

• Wash the tripe under cold water.
• Add 2 tbsp course salt to both sides of the tripe. Scrub both sides of the tripe vigorously with the half lemon.
• Wash the tripe under cold water again.
• Place the tripe in a pot, add 1 tbsp coarse salt and cover with water .
• Bring the water to a rolling boil and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove the tripe from the water and wash under cold water one last time.
• Cut the tripe into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
• In a dutch oven or other heavy large pot, heat the olive oil on medium high.
• Add the chouriço and smoked bacon, and cook until the edges start to brown.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the chouriço and smoked bacon, and set aside.
• Add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions soften.
• Add the wine and cook until the wine reduces to half.
• Add the beef stock, tripe, tomatoes, carrots, bay leaves, pimento paste, black pepper and salt, and bring to a boil on high.
• Reduce to medium heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Add the beans, chouriço and smoked bacon and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, covered.
• Serve hot with a sprinkling of chopped parsley for garnish.
• Don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce!

Notes

This dish is often served with a side of white rice.